Like every year, this year too
Odia people
across the globe celebrated
Rathyatra
away from home. The Odia community settled in the US also celebrated the festival with great devotion. It was more unique this year since the
Odia Society of Americas
had its golden jubilee.
Odia actress
Archita Sahu, who was present at the golden jubilee, attended the Rathyatra too and pulled the ropes of the chariot. She was a guest speaker who motivated the Odia community there.
Odia people in the US say that the annual chariot festival helps them to stay rooted to their culture and traditions. Several localities had their own chariots and they were seen gleefully taking part in the festival. “Out of 50 states in the US, almost 47 with Odia population celebrate Rathyatra. Some celebrate it on the day of the annual festival in Puri. But since it was a working day this year, it was celebrated on the weekend in many places. Where I stay in
Rhode Island
, we celebrated Rathyatra on Saturday,” said
Akshaya Mohanty
, a member of the Odia society.
Archita was happy being a part of this event. “It’s quite nice to see Odia people far away from their homes celebrating the festivals. We don’t miss out on it at home and they made sure to do the same. They have not forgotten their roots and love the culture and tradition even more now,” said the actress.
Festivals like the Rathyatra are times when people come together to enjoy all that’s traditional. In the US, the Odia community makes sure to recreate the fun and devotion that they had experience back home.
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